New Metro-North Railroad president set to take over

Joseph Giulietti, a one-time brakeman for the Penn Central, is expected to begin work as president of Metro-North Railroad next week.

Judy Rife

Joseph Giulietti, a one-time brakeman for the Penn Central, is expected to begin work as president of Metro-North Railroad next week.

Giulietti, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, was released from his contract by the authority's board Friday.

The contract had a two-month separation clause that Thomas Prendergast, chairman and CEO of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, asked SFRTA to waive when he appointed Giulietti to succeed Howard Permut earlier this month. Permut will retire Jan. 31.

James Sedore, chairman of the MTA's Metro-North committee, said Giulietti had said he was prepared to start Feb. 1 if he had SFRTA's blessing.

Giulietti, a native of Connecticut, worked at Metro-North in a series of management positions before he left to join SFRTA in 1998.

"We've had a few discussions already," said Sedore, who represents Dutchess County on the MTA, "and I believe we are going to be in good hands."

Bonnie Arnold, a spokeswoman for SFRTA, said the board spent part of Friday's meeting praising Giulietti for his work there over the past 15 years.

The authority's Tri-Rail system set a ridership record last year and celebrated its 25th anniversary last week. Steven Abrams, the chairman, has credited Giulietti for advancing the development of a second, coastal rail line, as well as an innovative street car service in downtown Fort Lauderdale.

"It was a pretty emotional meeting," said Arnold.

"We're a small organization, and the whole senior management team has been together more than a decade, and now the team is breaking up."